Abducted at Tumble Lake by Shirley Spain

Author:Shirley Spain
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: dog, amateur sleuth
Publisher: Shirley Spain

Chapter Nineteen

Invasion.

The trading post windows rattled from the vibration of the string of military-style vehicles, resembling tanks with huge knobby tires, invading their tiny mountain town.

Stella and Jen stood on the boardwalk. They gawked, speechless.

The unmarked armored black vehicles lined up like soldiers in the trailhead parking lot across the street.

Moments later, a white Action 12 TV News van pulled into an empty parking space in front of the Tumble Lake Trading Post.

“Uh-oh.” Jen nudged Stella with her elbow and tilted her head at the news crew. “Where there’s one, there’s bound to be more on the way. Looks like we could be in for a long and busy afternoon at the store.”

“Amen to that,” Stella said with several stiff bobs of her head. “Good thing Rachel stocked snacks and cold drinks this morning.”

“What’s going on?” Preacher Timothy strode across the boardwalk, urgency in his pace and concern on his face as he approached the women.

“Lou’s missing.” Jen gestured cluelessness with a flick of her hands. “That’s all we know.”

“Would that be the town’s mayor, Louise Tumble?” A man shoved a Channel 12 News microphone in Jen’s face.

In his late twenties and dressed in a white button-down shirt tucked into dark blue jeans, she recognized the ambitious reporter as Spencer Dowdle. Jen blinked several times, surprised to see he was much shorter and skinnier in person than he appeared on TV.

A long-haired man with a shoulder-mounted camera stepped closer, zeroing in on Jen.

“Yes.” Stella barged in front of Jen and grabbed the microphone handle with both hands. “Our mayor is missing.”

Spencer jerked his body rearward. He pulled back on the microphone, attempting to rip it from Stella’s hands, but she held on.

“By the way, my name is Stella Morrow.” She batted her eyelashes and flashed a cheesy grin at the camera. “We don’t know if Louise has had an accident, been kidnapped, or if she’s involved in some sort of illegal operation.”

“Quit making up stories!” Jen pursed her lips and smacked the back of her hand against Stella’s shoulder. She turned to the reporter. “All we know for sure is, Ben, that’s Lou’s dog, showed up here at the trading post without Lou.”

“I assume that’s unusual,” the reporter said, having once again gained control of the microphone with Stella out of the picture.

Jen nodded. “They’re inseparable. That’s why we knew something was wrong when Ben showed up barking and barking. He looked like he had been running for a while. Frothy saliva drooled from his jowls, his foot was bloody, and the poor dog collapsed around a bowl of water.”

The clean-cut reporter cocked his head. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Ben find that severed hand a few weeks ago?”

“I’m Preacher Timothy,” he said, wedging his gangly body between Jen and Spencer. “Right here,” he pointed to the book-sized cardboard box in his hand, “is Aubrey Witherspoon’s memorial plaque.” He turned his attention from the reporter to the camera. “Chainsaw carving is a hobby and passion of mine.” He thrust his chest out and gestured with his head at the box in his hand.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.